A solar-cell absorber layer for use in solar cells including tandem solar cells, is made of a metal-halide double perovskite material. The metal-halide double perovskite material has the formula A.sub.2BBX.sub.6, where A is an inorganic cation, an organic cation, or a mixture of organic and inorganic cations where B and B are metals, and where X is a halide or a mixture of halides. For example, A can be Cs, Rb, K, Ba, CH.sub.3NH.sub.3, (NH.sub.2).sub.2CH, or a mixture where B is Bi, Ag, Sn, In, Sb, Cu, Na, K, or Au of a predetermined oxidation state, and where B is Bi, Ag, Sn, In, Sb, Ga, Cu, or Au of various oxidation states, and where X is Br, I, Cl, F, or a mixture. One example of the metal-halide double perovskite material is Cs.sub.2BiAgBr.sub.6.

An AlN crystal preparation method includes using at least one element excluding Si that fulfills the condition that a compound is not formed with either Al or N or the condition that a compound is formed with either Al or N but the standard free energy of formation of said compound is greater than the standard free energy of formation of AlN. In the preparation method, a composition including at least Al and the element is melted. Al vapor and nitrogen gas are reacted at a prescribed reaction temperature. AlN crystals are formed.

A method of manufacturing a composite particle includes: a step of preparing a first raw material including an element selected from any of copper, molybdenum, and silver, and a second raw material including one or more types of elements selected from aluminum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, iron, yttrium, niobium, tantalum, silicon, calcium, magnesium, tungsten, indium, tin, germanium, nickel, zinc, and molybdenum; and a thermal plasma evaporation and cooling step of introducing the prepared first and second raw materials into thermal plasma to evaporate the first raw materials, and cooling the evaporated first raw materials to generate a composite particle. The composite particle includes the second raw material, and a fine particle carried on a surface of the second raw material and generated from the first raw material having an average particle size of 0.5 nm or more and 300 nm or less.

Solid electrolytes, anodes and cathodes for SOFC. Doped BaCeO.sub.3 useful for solid electrolytes and anodes in SOFCs exhibiting chemical stability in the presence of CO.sub.2, water vapor or both and exhibiting proton conductivity sufficiently high for practical application. Proton-conducting metal oxides of formula Ba.sub.1xSr.sub.xCe.sub.1y1y2y3Zr.sub.y1Gd.sub.y2Y.sub.y3O.sub.3 where x, y1, y2, and y3 are numbers as follows: x is 0.4 to 0.6; y1 is 0.1-0.5; y2 is 0.05 to 0.15, y3 is 0.05 to 0.15, and cathode materials of formula II GdPrBaCo.sub.2zFe.sub.zO.sub.5+ where z is a number from 0 to 1, and is a number that varies such that the metal oxide compositions are charge neutral. Anodes, cathodes and solid electrolyte containing such materials. SOFC containing anodes, cathodes and solid electrolyte containing such materials.

Describes a method of producing a magnesium sulfate and hydrous ammonia double salt or Boussingaultite ((NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4.MgSO.sub.4.6H.sub.2O), using as a source of magnesium a liquid effluent rich in magnesium sulfate originally from hydrometallurgical processes for the production of metals such as nickel, copper, rare earths. According to the invention, the process route for the production of Boussingaultite with physical properties suitable for use in fertilizer mixtures involves the steps of precipitating the Boussingaultite double salt, filtration and thermal drying.

A carbon material granulated product contains a carbon black having a particle size D50, as determined by a laser diffraction/scattering method specified in ISO 13320, of 250 m or less, a carbon nanotube having a particle size D50, as determined by the laser diffraction/scattering method specified in ISO 13320, of 50 m or less, and a solvent-soluble polymer impregnated into the carbon black and the carbon nanotube. In the carbon material granulated product, the solvent-soluble polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of ether polymers, vinyl polymers, amine polymers, cellulose polymers, and starch polymers, and the content of the solvent-soluble polymer is in a range from 1 part by mass to 15 parts by mass relative to a total content of the carbon black and the carbon nanotube taken as 100 parts by mass.

Described herein are zeolite bodies, in particular those having improved physical and chemical properties, methods of manufacturing the zeolite bodies, and uses of the zeolite bodies, in particular in catalysis and gas separation.

Articles and method of making articles including a solid porous material having a selenium nanomaterial bound to a surface of and within the solid porous material. The article may be a include no polymeric stabilizer or proteinaceous stabilizer. The solid porous material may be a sponge, a film, a fabric, a non-woven material, or a metal-organic framework (MOF), or a combination thereof. The article may be produced by treating a solid porous material with an aqueous selenous acid solution and heating the solid porous material to form the selenium nanomaterial on the surface of and within the solid porous material.

The present invention belongs to the field of preparation technique of inorganic, functional material and provides a method for preparing nanometer titanium dioxide which comprises the following steps: (1) dissolving ilmenite powder using hydrochloric acid to obtain a raw ore solution; (2) eliminating the iron element in the raw ore solution to obtain a final solution containing titanium ions (3) heating the final solution for hydrolysis to obtain a hydrolyzed product containing titanium dioxide; and (4) calcining the obtained hydrolyzed product to obtain nanometer titanium dioxide. The present invention has the advantages that the raw materials can be easily obtained, the energy consumption is low, both rutile type titanium dioxide and anatase type titanium dioxide can be produced, and the product has high purity, small particle diameter, narrow particle diameter distribution and good dispersibility.

A particle formed of silica and carbon having a low impurity content and an excellent reactivity is provided. Also provided is a method of producing a silica and carbon-containing material including: (B) a carbon mixing step of mixing an aqueous alkali silicate solution having a silicon concentration within the liquid portion of at least 10 wt % with carbon so as to obtain a carbon-containing aqueous alkali silicate solution; and (C) a silica recovery step of mixing the carbon-containing aqueous alkali silicate solution with a mineral acid so as to cause carbon and silicon within the liquid portion to precipitate as particles formed of silica and carbon and thus obtaining a particle-containing liquid substance, then solid-liquid separating the liquid substance so as to obtain a solid portion of a silica and carbon-containing material which is an assembly of particles formed of silica and carbon and a liquid portion containing impurities.